1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to bird feeders, and specifically, to a hummingbird feeder and a feed pod for providing a food substance, such as a solution of sugar and water, for hummingbirds.
2. Description of the Related Art
Typical hummingbird feeders hold about 8 to 12 ounces of liquid food (or more), which is usually a sugar-water mixture (about 4 parts water to 1 part sugar). The liquid food is in contact with the feeder, which sits outside in hot, ambient weather, many times in direct sunlight. This sugar-water mixture or liquid hummingbird food creates a natural habitat that grows algae and other bacteria that contaminate the food, as well as sticking to the surfaces of the feeder that the food touches. If this food is not replaced with clean food, the algae and growth can harm and even kill hummingbirds that ingest it. In the heat of mid-Summer, the feeder may need to be emptied and cleaned every 2 to 3 days. In cooler periods of Spring and Fall, the feeder can be emptied and cleaned less often, typically once every week or two. This is a bothersome chore that challenges even the most avid hummingbird enthusiast.
Cleaning current hummingbird feeders is involved and troublesome in that the feeders have nooks and crannies where the mold and algae growth deposits. Small cleaning tools and brushes are often needed, frequently with a diluted bleach solution, to remove the mold and growth. Failure to remove the mold and growth provides sites that accelerate new growth when fresh food is placed in the feeder.
Another challenge faced by the hummingbird enthusiasts is the mixing, cooking and storage of the liquid food for the birds. In many regions of the US, the hummingbird populations are such that a typical feeder sees relatively low traffic, with the birds consuming only a small fraction of the food from the feeders before the food spoils and must be discarded. Many times 80 to 90% of the food is discarded due to spoilage. This is somewhat discouraging since there is substantial effort in making and storing the liquid food for the feeders.
As previously noted, the food is a sugar-water mixture. To protect the hummingbirds from non-sterile food and to help extend the life of the food, the water must be boiled before mixing in the sugar. Many hummingbird enthusiasts make their own food in volumes of about a quart or half gallon and store it in their refrigerator. One quart of liquid food (32 oz) will fill a 12 ounce feeder about 3 times, which is a little more than one week of food in the Summer. As such, the hummingbird enthusiast is forced to continually process, cook and store new liquid food mixture.
Handling the liquid food and the feeders is also a burden. Because the feeders regularly need cleaning and refilling, the hummingbird enthusiast needs to bring the feeder into the home, probably working near a sink, to flush out the old food and clean the feeder. Once the feeder is cleaned, new liquid food is poured into the feeder. The liquid food is usually stored in the refrigerator in a pitcher, jar or other bulk liquid holding container. Once the feeder is cleaned and refilled, it is carefully carried back outside and hung or positioned back in its normal location.
In summary, current feeders are hard to clean and maintain, and frequently, because of these problems, cause significant wastage of the liquid hummingbird food that the owner of the feeder will often have spent considerable effort to make and store in a refrigerated environment. There is a need for improved hummingbird feeders and their required methods of handling and distributing hummingbird food.